US6180887B1 - Clip for forming a branch off seal and method of using the clip - Google Patents
Clip for forming a branch off seal and method of using the clip Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US6180887B1 US6180887B1 US09/371,359 US37135999A US6180887B1 US 6180887 B1 US6180887 B1 US 6180887B1 US 37135999 A US37135999 A US 37135999A US 6180887 B1 US6180887 B1 US 6180887B1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- leg
- legs
- hinge
- hinge portion
- pivot pin
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
- H02G15/00—Cable fittings
- H02G15/08—Cable junctions
- H02G15/18—Cable junctions protected by sleeves, e.g. for communication cable
- H02G15/1806—Heat shrinkable sleeves
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S174/00—Electricity: conductors and insulators
- Y10S174/08—Shrinkable tubes
Definitions
- the present invention relates to telecommunications equipment generally, and more specifically, to methods for securing cables.
- a building entrance protector (BEP) enclosure houses the physical interface between the nodes of a local telecommunications network and a telecommunications cable.
- a BEP enclosure may house the interface hardware between the telephones of an office building and an exterior telephone cable having a number of twisted copper pairs that carry the voice signals for those telephones.
- a BEP enclosure is typically mounted in the basement or first floor of the office building.
- a BEP enclosure may also be used to house the interface hardware for systems based on fiber optical communications.
- BEP enclosures may be used with telecommunications systems carrying signals other than just telephone voice signals.
- the end cap of a BEP may include one or more cable ports, which extend outwardly from the end cap.
- the cable port allows a cable to enter into the enclosure.
- Heat shrink tubing is commonly used to secure the cable to the BEP housing, align the cable, and to provide a seal to protect the enclosure from the outdoor environments.
- the end cap of the BEP typically has a limited number of cable ports through which cables may enter the BEP housing. There may be more cables than cable ports. A problem may arise if it is necessary to route two or more cables through a single port. Attempts have been made to address this problem by forming a branch in a single length of shrink wrap tubing.
- Nolf teaches that the preferred clips are formed as a trident, the central leg of which extends into the heat-recoverable sleeve and is provided with a layer of a hot-melt adhesive or another sealant so as to enhance the seal formed at the branch-off.
- Nolf's method includes positioning a clip having at least two elongate legs over the outer surface of the heat-shrinkable sleeve at the end thereof so as to form at least two terminal conduits.
- the cables are positioned within the conduits. Heat is applied so as to effect shrinkage and to form the desired seal.
- FIGS. 1A and 1B of the present application corresponds to FIGS. 13 a and 13 b of each of the above listed patents by Nolf.
- FIGS. 1A and 1B show an adjustable clip having three legs 47 , 48 and 50 .
- two of the outer legs 47 and 48 are rotatably mountable on an extended part of the inner leg 49 , whereas outer leg 50 is fixed to the inner leg 49 .
- Such a clip can be adjusted according to the nature of the branch-off required. Once adjusted, the leg positions are locked in place by teeth (not numbered).
- the present invention is a clip assembly including a pivot pin and a plurality of elongated legs.
- Each leg has at least one hinge portion at or near a first end of the leg.
- the hinge portion is substantially shorter than the leg.
- Each hinge portion has a hole.
- the holes of the hinge portions are aligned with each other.
- Each leg has a second end opposite the first end.
- the pivot pin passes through the hole in each one of the hinge portions, without extending significantly beyond the hinge portions in the direction of the second ends of the legs.
- Each leg is freely rotatable about the pivot pin.
- FIGS. 1A and 1B show a conventional clip for forming a branch in a sleeve of shrink wrap tubing.
- FIG. 2A is an elevation view of a first exemplary leg for use in a clip assembly according to the present invention.
- FIG. 2B is a bottom plan view of the leg shown in FIG. 2 A.
- FIG. 3A is an elevation view of a clip assembly according to the present invention, including two of the legs shown in FIG. 2 A.
- FIG. 3B is a bottom plan view of the clip assembly shown in FIG. 3 A.
- FIG. 4A is an elevation view of a clip assembly according to the present invention, including three of the legs shown in FIG. 2 A.
- FIG. 4B is a bottom plan view of the clip assembly shown in FIG. 4 A.
- FIG. 5A is an elevation view of a clip assembly according to the present invention, including four of the legs shown in FIG. 2 A.
- FIG. 5B is a bottom plan view of the clip assembly shown in FIG. 5 A.
- FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of a branched sleeve of shrink wrap tubing forming three conduits.
- the branch is formed using the clip assembly shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
- FIG. 7 is an elevation view of a clip assembly, including two legs according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
- FIGS. 2A and 2B show a first exemplary leg 100 usable in a clip assembly according to the present invention.
- Each leg 100 is an elongated structure having at least one hinge portion 110 at or near a first end of the leg.
- the hinge portion 110 is located at the first end, which is the preferred location.
- the hinge portion 110 is substantially shorter than the leg 100 .
- Each hinge portion has a hole 112 .
- Each leg 100 has a second end opposite the hinge portion 110 .
- Each leg 100 has a separator portion 114 at its second end.
- the separator portion 114 has a radial dimension R (shown in FIG. 2A) and a tangential dimension T (shown in FIG. 2 B).
- the radial dimension R is greater than the tangential dimension T.
- the narrower tangential dimension T allows a greater number of legs to fit within the circumference defined by any given cable port.
- the legs 100 should be made of a strong material that does not degrade when exposed to heat.
- Steel is an example of a suitable material.
- a plastic coating may be desirable over the steel to prevent any sharp edges of the leg 100 from damaging the tubing or injuring a worker handling the legs.
- any other suitable material described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,543 (which is incorporated by reference herein) may be used.
- FIGS. 3A and 3B show a first exemplary clip assembly 150 incorporating the legs 100 of FIG. 2 A.
- Assembly 150 includes two legs 100 .
- all of the legs of the clip assembly 150 are identical to each other, simplifying inventory management and assembly of the clip 150 .
- the holes 112 of the hinge portions 110 are aligned with each other.
- a pivot pin 120 passes through the aligned holes in each one of the hinge portions 110 , without extending significantly beyond the hinge portions in the direction of the second ends of the legs.
- Each leg 100 is freely rotatable about the pivot pin 120 to any desired angle. Because clip assembly 150 can form any desired angle, clip assembly 150 may be used to form any desired pair of conduits from a single piece of heat shrink tubing, as discussed below.
- FIGS. 4A and 4B show a second exemplary clip assembly 160 incorporating three legs 100 . All of the legs 100 of the clip assembly 160 are identical to each other. The holes 112 of the hinge portions 110 are aligned with each other. A pivot pin 120 passes through the aligned holes in each one of the hinge portions 110 , without extending significantly beyond the hinge portions in the direction of the second ends of the legs. Each leg 100 is freely rotatable about the pivot pin 120 to any desired angle.
- FIGS. 5A and 5B show a third exemplary clip assembly 170 incorporating four legs 100 . All of the legs 100 of the clip assembly 170 are identical to each other. The holes 112 of the hinge portions 110 are aligned with each other. A pivot pin 120 passes through the aligned holes in each one of the hinge portions 110 , without extending significantly beyond the hinge portions in the direction of the second ends of the legs. Each leg 100 is freely rotatable about the pivot pin 120 to any desired angle.
- the pivot pin 120 may be of a conventional type.
- the pin 120 has two pieces which are detachable from each other, to allow the clip assembly 150 , 160 or 170 to be disassembled and reassembled.
- the pivot pin 120 may be a single piece fastener, such as a rivet or the like.
- FIGS. 4A and 4B Another aspect of the exemplary embodiments is best shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.
- the legs 100 are located at positions defining a cylinder C (FIG. 4B) that has a longitudinal axis A (FIG. 3A) along which the pivot pin 120 lies.
- the exemplary assembly 160 consists of the pivot pin 120 and the plurality of legs 100 , without any central post along the longitudinal axis A of the cylinder C.
- FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view showing an assembly for forming three conduit branches 184 a - 184 c from a single sleeve of heat shrink tubing 184 .
- One end of the tubing 184 is proximate to the cable port 182 (shown in phantom), and is positioned over the cable port 182 .
- the cables 188 are inserted through the heat shrink tubing sleeve 184 .
- the clip assembly 160 is fit over the end of the heat shrink tubing 184 distal from the cable port 182 , to form the three conduits 184 a - 184 c .
- the heat shrink tubing 184 is pinched together at three locations 186 .
- An adhesive sealant is provided within the heat shrink tubing sleeve 184 for sealing gaps between the conduits. When heat is applied, the adhesive on the heat shrink tubing at the locations 186 melts, fusing the conduits 184 a - 184 c together.
- the legs are rotated to positions in which each leg is tangent to two of the conduits 184 a - 184 c .
- This provides optimal support for the tubing 184 during the application of heat and fusing of the conduits 184 a - 184 c.
- the legs 100 can rotate freely and independently of each other, both while inserting the clip assembly 150 , 160 and 170 over the tubing 184 , and during the heating process.
- the exemplary clip assemblies 150 , 160 and 170 can automatically adjust themselves continuously while the heat shrink tubing 184 is being heated, to balance the force exerted by the conduits 184 a - 184 c on the assembly. This characteristic allows the assemblies 150 , 160 and 170 to optimize the leg angles each time a branching process is performed, and to reduce the stress in the heat shrink tubing after completion of the heating.
- FIG. 7 shows a clip assembly 250 including a plurality of legs 200 according to second exemplary embodiment of the invention.
- Each of the legs 200 has a first hinge portion 210 and a second hinge portion 211 .
- the first hinge portion 210 and second hinge portion 211 of each leg 200 are separated by a distance D greater than the longitudinal lengths L of the first and second hinge portions.
- the length L is selected to be much smaller than the length of the hinge portion 110 of FIG. 2 A.
- a pair of shorter, spaced apart hinge portions 210 and 211 it is possible to stack a larger number of legs 200 without excessively increasing the height of the clip assembly 250 , or the distance between the bottom leg and the top leg.
- the plurality of legs 200 are stacked so that all of the first hinge portions 210 are adjacent to each other, and all of the second hinge portions 211 are adjacent to each other, as shown. This arrangement minimizes overall height of the clip assembly 250 .
- Another advantage of having two hinge portions 210 and 211 is that the spaced apart hinge portions provide greater stability.
- the legs 200 of clip assembly 250 are less likely to wobble than a clip assembly 150 , 160 or 170 having legs 100 (FIG. 2 A), which has a single hinge portion 110 shorter than the distance D separating the first and second hinge portions 210 and 211 of leg 200 .
- an inventory of the legs 100 or 200 may be maintained.
- a number of legs are selected, corresponding to the number of conduits desired.
- the selected legs are then assembled with an appropriate pivot pin.
- the only component that differs between the clip assemblies is the pivot pin, which has a length corresponding to the number and length of the hinge portions 110 .
- any desired number of legs may be used.
- the leg 200 shown in FIG. 7 is especially well adapted to use in assemblies have larger numbers of legs for forming a larger number of conduits. Using the embodiment of FIG. 7, clip assemblies having about ten or more legs are contemplated.
- FIGS. 2A-7 show clip assemblies rotated to have equal angles for forming equally sized conduits
- the assemblies may be used to form differently sized conduits.
- the legs are rotatable to form any number N of conduits, where N is an integer greater than one, and less than or equal to the number of legs in a given clip assembly, and each of the N conduits has a respective size.
- the legs are preferably rotated to respectively different angles, so that each conduit is tangent or near tangent to two adjacent legs.
- conduit branching clip assembly and method for heat shrink tubing is described with reference to securing multiple cables to a BEP housing, it is not limited to that application.
- the invention may be applied for forming separate heat shrink tubing conduits for securing other elongated objects to ports in other types of enclosures.
Abstract
Description
Claims (14)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/371,359 US6180887B1 (en) | 1999-08-10 | 1999-08-10 | Clip for forming a branch off seal and method of using the clip |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/371,359 US6180887B1 (en) | 1999-08-10 | 1999-08-10 | Clip for forming a branch off seal and method of using the clip |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US6180887B1 true US6180887B1 (en) | 2001-01-30 |
Family
ID=23463653
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/371,359 Expired - Fee Related US6180887B1 (en) | 1999-08-10 | 1999-08-10 | Clip for forming a branch off seal and method of using the clip |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6180887B1 (en) |
Citations (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4298415A (en) | 1978-01-09 | 1981-11-03 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off method |
US4400579A (en) | 1978-01-09 | 1983-08-23 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off assembly |
US4413922A (en) * | 1980-05-22 | 1983-11-08 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off seal |
US4913522A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1990-04-03 | Nv Raychem Sa | Electrofit fibre optics butt splice |
US5249253A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1993-09-28 | Nv Raychem Sa | Electrofit fibre optics butt splice |
US5602954A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1997-02-11 | Raychem Sv | Electrofit fiber optics butt splice |
-
1999
- 1999-08-10 US US09/371,359 patent/US6180887B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4298415A (en) | 1978-01-09 | 1981-11-03 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off method |
US4400579A (en) | 1978-01-09 | 1983-08-23 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off assembly |
US4648924A (en) | 1978-01-09 | 1987-03-10 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off method |
US4734543A (en) | 1978-01-09 | 1988-03-29 | Nolf Jean Marie E | Branch-off assembly |
US4413922A (en) * | 1980-05-22 | 1983-11-08 | N.V. Raychem S.A. | Branch-off seal |
US4913522A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1990-04-03 | Nv Raychem Sa | Electrofit fibre optics butt splice |
US5155794A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1992-10-13 | Raychem Corporation | Electrofit fibre optics butt splice |
US5249253A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1993-09-28 | Nv Raychem Sa | Electrofit fibre optics butt splice |
US5602954A (en) | 1984-04-11 | 1997-02-11 | Raychem Sv | Electrofit fiber optics butt splice |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
AU645191B2 (en) | Pre-terminated fibre optic cable | |
RU2164357C2 (en) | Device for distributing optical fiber joints | |
US10054753B2 (en) | Fiber optic cable with flexible conduit | |
US5758004A (en) | Closure with cable strain relief | |
US5617501A (en) | Shield bond strain connector for fiber optic closure | |
US6396993B1 (en) | Optical fiber breakaway apparatus and method | |
US5553186A (en) | Fiber optic dome closure | |
RU2595645C2 (en) | Device for cable clamp with unloading cable tension and methods for use thereof | |
US4820007A (en) | Cable closure and methods of assembling | |
US5997186A (en) | Hybrid cable splice closure and related methods | |
CA2065090C (en) | Fiber optic cable having spliceless branch and method of making | |
US7418177B2 (en) | Fiber optic cable breakout system, packaging arrangement, and method of installation | |
US7454106B2 (en) | Factory spliced cable assembly | |
US7840109B2 (en) | Factory spliced cable assembly | |
JPH09508710A (en) | Optical fiber sealing device for aerial, cradle, underground or buried | |
US20070127875A1 (en) | Optical Fiber Splicing Closures and Methods | |
WO2007103438A2 (en) | Fiber optic cable breakout configuration with retention block | |
US6591055B1 (en) | Sheath bonding arrangement for fiber optic cable splices | |
US5908180A (en) | Symmetrical cable bracketing and strain relieving mechanism and method | |
US6362427B1 (en) | Low profile adapter for variable size tubing | |
US7289714B1 (en) | Tubing wrap procedure | |
US6180887B1 (en) | Clip for forming a branch off seal and method of using the clip | |
US6353184B1 (en) | Low profile adapter for variable size heat shrink tubing joint | |
CA3159108A1 (en) | Terminal system assemblies with breakout/adapter modules | |
EP0728377B1 (en) | Cable closure |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC., NEW JERSEY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:DAOUD, BASSEL H.;REEL/FRAME:010167/0341 Effective date: 19990727 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: AVAYA TECHNOLOGY CORP., FLORIDA Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC.;REEL/FRAME:011298/0034 Effective date: 20000929 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: BANK OF NEW YORK, THE, NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNOR:AVAYA TECHNOLOGY CORP.;REEL/FRAME:012775/0144 Effective date: 20020405 |
|
REMI | Maintenance fee reminder mailed | ||
LAPS | Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees | ||
STCH | Information on status: patent discontinuation |
Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362 |
|
FP | Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee |
Effective date: 20050130 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: AVAYA INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS AVAYA TECHNOLOGY COR Free format text: BANKRUPTCY COURT ORDER RELEASING ALL LIENS INCLUDING THE SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 012775/0144;ASSIGNOR:THE BANK OF NEW YORK;REEL/FRAME:044893/0179 Effective date: 20171128 |